鯰絵大作戦 (Nmazu-e Dai-Sakusen)

鯰絵 (Namazu-e), literally "catfish prints," are ukiyo-e woodblock prints made in Japan during the Edo Period that depict catfish.
They started being published just after the Great Ansei Earthquake in 1855, and they grew popular among the masses quickly as amulets for protection from earthquakes or omamori to relieve anxiety, and during the two months in which the craze continued a great deal were produced. In Japanese folklore, it is believed that earthquakes are caused by a namazu (giant catfish) moving or struggling beneath the ground. The folk tale about how the god of Kashima Shrine, Takemikazuchi, used a spirit stone called Kaname-ishi (keystone) to seal away the namazu and calm earthquakes is well known to people of the Edo Period.

Namazu-e are especially well known for depicting the people or Takemikazuchi punishing or exterminating the namazu for the sin of causing earthquakes, but there are also ironic images that show the gratitude of carpenters and lumber merchants who benefit from reconstruction after the Ansei Earthquake and unique versions in which namazu help with reconstruction as restitution for causing earthquakes.

After the 2011 Sendai Earthquake and Tsunami, the Japanese Twitter / Nico Nico Douga user 蝉丸P (Semimaru-P) called on artists to create namazu-e to communicate the messages, "Pray for no more earthquakes," or "Let's work together not to give in to the earthquake." This project, known as Namazu-e Dai-Sakusen(Operation Namazu-e), was born on Twitter and then earned endorsements on Pixiv. The related Twitter hashtag is #namazue.

See also

• Twitter DataLog(1)
• Twitter DataLog(2)
• Semimaru-P's Pixiv Project Announcement
• Pixiv tag search: 鯰絵大作戦

• 2011 Sendai Earthquake and Tsunami
• pool #3097 - 'Pray for Japan!'

• namazu
• catfish
• keystone
• earthquake

• ukiyo-e
• nihonga
• faux traditional media